Hold Congress Accountable

Knowledge is power. It makes sure people understand what is happening to their country, and how they can make a difference. FreedomWorks University will give you the tools to understand economics, the workings of government, the history of the American legal system, and the most important debates facing our nation today. Enroll in FreedomWorks University today!

Search FreedomWorks

Resources

Blog

Key Vote YES on Rep. Jordan's Amendment to the Continuing Resolution

On behalf of over a million FreedomWorks members nationwide, I urge you to vote YES on Rep. Jordan’s amendment #104 to H.R. 1 the Full Year Continuing Appropriation Act. As it currently stands, the proposed continuing resolution lowers non-security discretionary spending to $396.6 billion. This would be the largest discretionary spending cut in American history. Rep. Jordan’s amendment would go even further by returning non-security discretionary spending to FY2008 levels, which is $378 billion.

I commend the House for proposing real spending cuts through the continuing resolution. The current continuing resolution cuts spending by $106 billion through the end of September. This is a great start to restore fiscal sanity to Washington. With the national debt at over $14 trillion, it’s time to take action to change the spending culture in Washington.

I urge you to make every effort to cut even more wasteful spending. Rep. Jordan’s amendment would is a great opportunity to do so within the continuing resolution. His amendment includes an 11 percent across-the-board cut for the Legislative branch and a 5.5 percent across-the-board cut for all other non-security discretionary spending. The amendment would cut approximately $20 billion more than the current base bill. I applaud the House leadership for bringing the continuing resolution to the floor under such an open process, which allows for amendments like Rep. Jordan’s.

With many spending cut amendments proposed to the continuing resolution, I am confident that the final product will put us on the path towards fiscal sanity. The American people are counting on you. During the November elections, they overwhelmingly voted for lawmakers who pledged to roll back spending. I urge you to fulfill your promise by voting for Rep. Jordan’s amendment to cut billions more in spending.

We will count your vote on Rep. Jordan’s amendment to H.R. 1 the Full Year Continuing Appropriation Act as a KEY VOTE when calculating the FreedomWorks Economic Freedom Scorecard for 2011. The Economic Freedom Scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the Jefferson Award, which recognizes members of Congress with voting records that support economic freedom.

Sincerely,

Matt KibbePresident and CEO FreedomWorks[Click here for a pdf version of this letter.]

The federal government shutdown at midnight on Saturday because the Senate was not able to pass a spending deal. Both the House and Senate were in session on Saturday and Sunday. Members from both parties in both chambers spent time blaming each other for the shutdown. House and Senate Democrats also spent a lot of time on the floor blaming President Trump.

As Congress nears another deadline this Friday for funding the government, a lot is on the table in terms of what could be included in a deal to increase spending across the board. Whether Congress is forced into a partial government shutdown or it chooses to bunt the issue another few weeks or so with the fourth continuing resolution of this fiscal year, the spending issue will have to be addressed in the near future.

Shortly before the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took her opposition to tax cuts for millions of Americans to a new level on the House floor. She stood before her colleagues and proclaimed that the bill was “the worst bill in the history of the United States Congress.”

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and senators and ask them to vote YES on the conference report for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, H.R. 1. This final agreement on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides much-needed relief to taxpayers across the country and to American businesses alike.

On December 15, the House and Senate negotiators, known as a conference committee, released a conference report for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, H.R. 1. The report outlines the final agreement that will be voted on by the two chambers the week of December 18.

The Senate passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, H.R. 1, on December 2. On December 4, the House moved to enter into a conference committee with the Senate to resolve differences with the Senate version. Although there are similarities in the versions of the bill that passed both chambers, there are key differences that have to be addressed, including individual tax rates, the treatment of pass-through businesses, and when the 20 percent corporate tax rate will begin.